This Anon birthday art set for Chihaya Anon took around two weeks from pre-production to final photos. For this shoot, I prepared a grey-and-white Plaid jumper dress layered over a white long-sleeved shirt, featuring black circular buttons and gold vertical stripe accents at the collar, cinched at the waist with a black square-buckle belt. For the wig, I selected long straight pink hair with trimmed blunt bangs, paired with black-rimmed glasses to capture the character's everyday school aesthetic. For footwear, I chose black platform Mary Janes paired with white calf socks.
The shoot was held in a seamless pure white cyclorama studio, with props mainly consisting of a clear umbrella and a white cylindrical stool. To capture the character's energetic yet subtly tsundere personality, I designed several distinct poses. In photo 1, I held the open transparent umbrella with both hands, body turned slightly, gazing calmly toward the lens. Photo 2 featured a raised leg with bent arms balled into fists at my sides, as if cheering myself on—this movement took multiple bursts to capture the exact right energy. In photo 3, my left hand rested on my hip while the right index finger pointed to my cheek, wearing a confident expression. Photo 4 had me seated sideways on the white cylindrical stool with crossed legs, holding the closed umbrella against my chest with both hands for a calmer, more relaxed posture.
Adjusting the studio lighting took considerable time; since the white shirt closely matched the background wall in color, rim lighting was essential to carve the subject out from the backdrop. The transparent umbrella was also a notable challenge, as lighting easily produced harsh glare, yet its ribs and clear canopy complemented the clean, crisp aesthetic when unfurled. When shooting seated full-body angles, keeping the leg lines flattering required constant attention to the angle of crossed legs and smoothing out the skirt hem. The pairing of platform Mary Janes and white socks visually lengthened the calves while tying the academy look together seamlessly.
For facial expressions, I alternated between cool composure and playful charm to mirror the character's multifaceted nature. Posing with a hand on the hip pointing to my cheek called for a confident, slightly smug smirk, whereas holding the umbrella or sitting down embraced a calm, slice-of-life serenity. Checking the plaid pattern alignment on the dress and feathering the wig's layers took plenty of prep work beforehand. Although the session required continuous micro-adjustments to posture and expressions, seeing the final photos bring the character's vivid spirit to life made every minute worthwhile. I hope this birthday set conveys her vibrant charm.